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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

The Advent of the Bicycles in the Philippines

It’s everywhere, folks. Bicycle lanes here, bicycle rides there.

There’s no denying that Filipinos have the healthy gene in there system. Since more cities are promoting healthy lifestyles, providing walkways, park recreations and more bicycles lanes, it just makes perfect sense to get a bicycle of your own. Even in our own village, the number of bicyclists and bicycle enthusiasts has increased by a tenfold. Yes, those little stainless steel frames with square baskets hanging upfront are now a trending health item.

Bicycles... I’ve seen pink ones, blue ones, and even orange ones. Aside from the now-popular Japanese bikes, there’s also the ones known as folding bikes.

My sister’s officemate has a Pacific folding bike. His health regimen includes biking long distances along the busy roads of Metro Manila (Pasay in particular) and eating four eggs a day. Unlike most enthusiasts however, this person takes his folding bike to the office with him. He uses it to travel with in his free time. You would think Metro Manila was his playground.

His usual bike routine includes going through long distances with his beloved bicycle. Once he gets tired, he stops, folds his bike, and hails the next jeepney he could fit himself and his bike in to go back to his starting poing. He’s been doing this for more than a year, and the fruits of his exercise has paid off—just like John Lloyd’s new hobby has done wonders to his body.

The Many Benefits of Using a Bicycle to Travel

1. Biking builds and tones your muscles. It’s also a great way to increase your endurance.

2. It does not cause pollution, which further helps in promoting the Philippines’ Clean Air Act.

3. It’s a great way to socialize and meet other bike enthusiasts.

4. It’s cheap and convenient.

Taiwan, India, and China are the world’s leading bicycle producers. However, unlike the latter countries, Taiwan-made bicycles are intended for exporting. This is why Taiwan’s bike industry continuously strives for excellence and versatility. Brands like Pacific, Merida, and Giant are becoming names to reckon with in the biking industry.

Just like Japan’s 5S, Taiwan’s bike industry has 3N (New Materials, New Technologies, and New Designs) to prepare it for the different environments the bikes will be used in.

The Taiwan Excellence campaign, with the implementation of TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council), aims for us, Filipinos, to discover a range of high-quality Taiwan-made products that carries the country’s seal of excellence. Their campaign is also endorsed by our local celebrity, Iya Villania-Arellano.

You can learn more about Taiwan Excellence by browsing through their pages: the Taiwan Excellence website or their Facebook page.

Disclaimer: Although this post is sponsored, the content and opinions are my own.